Bowling ball support



w. HARBIGAN BOWLING BALL SUPPORT Filed Aug. 17; 1940 ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 16, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOWLING BALL SUPPORTWesley Harrigan, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application August 17, 1940, Serial No. 353,040

2 Claims. K01. 248-350) This invention relates to supports for bowlingballs and the like.

No provision has heretofore been made for the adequate care of aselected or privately owned bowling ball while the bowler is awaitinghis opportunity to start a game. As a consequence he is confronted withthe burdensome task of holding his heavy ball in his arms or of keepingit in place on the floor or bench beside him. Unless held, it is liableto damage and likely to roll away.

One object of the present invention is the provision of an individualbowling ball support capable of retaining the ball in any selectedlocation or place of deposit.

Another object is to provide an individual bowling ball support capableof releasabl adherence to the ball so as to be carried by the ball whenthe latter is moved from one place of deposit to another.

Another object is to provide a bowling ball support of a size and shapefor convenient handling and for deposit in the pocket when not in use.

Other more specific objects and advantages will appear from thefollowing description of a bowlin ball support embodying the presentinvention.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional View on the line l--l of Fig; 2 of abowling ball support constructed in accordance with the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the support, shown applied to abowling ball.

The bowling ball support shown comprises a flexible web Ill of rubber orlike resilient material fashioned to provide an upper concave face llhaving a radius of curvature less'than that of the ball a to besupported. The face H preferably terminates in a continuous flexibleperipheral lip 12 adapted to closely conform to the surface of the balland to thereby seal the space between the face H and the ball.Bycompressing the Web ID toward or against the ball, air is excludedfrom the space therebetween, thereby establishing 'a partial vacuumtherein, causing the Web ID and lip l2 to adhere by suction to the faceof the ball.

An appropriate mounting base is alsoprovided so related to the web asnot to interfere with the suction inducing-function thereof. Such a baseis shown at l3 disposed to support the web along its outer margin andpreferably comprising a relatively thick ring formed integral with theweb. The external diameter or spread of the base 13 is such as toprovide a stable support for the ball resting thereon.

The center 14, of the web It) is preferably disposed to normally projectbelow the bottom of the base I3 so that the web is automatically flexedupwardly into suction producing position, by the supportingsurface'onwhich it rests, whenever the ball is deposited on the support.This action is ordinarily suflicient to cause the support to cling tothe ball when the latter is lifted, but thegrip thereof upon the ballmay be increased, if desired, by additional flexing pressure manuallyapplied to the under side of the web. In any event the grip is neversuch as to prevent ready removal from the ball whenever desired.

As may be noted from a comparison with the ball in Fig. 3, the supportis not large but of a size for convenient handling and readilyinsertable into the pocket when not in use.

Various changes may be made in the embodiment of the inventionhereinabove specifically described without departing from or sacrificingthe advantages of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A bowling ball support comprising a concave cup having a circularmarginal portion for sealin contact with said ball, a downwardlyprojecting ring underlying said marginal portion, said ring terminatingsubstantially in the plane of the central bottom surface of said cup,when said ball is disposed upon said cup, and forming a support for saidcup.

2. A bowling ball support comprising a relatively shallow resilient cupof less diameter than the ball and having a ball receiving cavitydefined by an are having a radius less than the radius of the ball, saidcup having a circular marginl portion for sealing contact with the ball,and means extending downwardly from and underlying said marginal portionto support said cup and ball, said cup also having an intermediatebottom portion distortable toward the ball and thereby tensionable toinduce a. suction grip between said cup and ball.

WESLEY HARRIGAN.

